We plan to install a locked steel box with basic skatepark care/cleaning supplies inside like brooms, shovels, a squeegee, gloves, and trash bags. Two volunteers have come forward to be key holders and our first official “skatepark stewards”. CLASS was made possible with grants from The Calgary Foundation and ActivateYYC.

Learn about the new skateparks planned for this year and beyond. It’s also our 10 year anniversary so we have some initiatives planned around that. We’re also looking for feedback to better understand what you want to see.

The Compound is located at 840 26 Ave SE. They’re offering a $10 session after the meeting so we hope you’ll stick around for that.

Remember, the election is on October 16th but you can vote early from October 4-11. We encourage you to learn about the candidates running in your ward. Vote for whoever you think will do a good job and represent your vision for the city.

Click below to learn how the candidates responded to our questionnaire. They’re sorted by Mayor or Councillor and then by ward. If you’re not sure what ward you live in, click here.If a candidate is not listed, they did not yet complete our questionnaire. We’ll be updating it daily as more responses come in until election day.

My love for skateboarding started when I was a kid. At the age of 10, seeing kids cruising around on boards was just the coolest thing to me. The sport really captured my imagination and I saw it as an important counter culture movement. I’ve seen the dedication and perseverance it takes to learn tricks or to get up after a really bad fall translate into my life and lives of my friends. Now that I’m older, friends of mine who skated as kids/teens/young adults are now business owners, directors, professional photographers and more. I think the skills and lessons learned through skating have without a doubt led them to be as successful as they are today.

Alderman Joe Conelly tried many years ago to change the prohibitive ramp bylaw but could not get any to second his motion. To what do you attribute the support you received from council on your ramp bylaw notice of motion?

I think as time goes on, attitudes change. Calgary is one of the youngest cities in North America and as new generations grow up in this city, we’re seeing shifting mentalities. A lot if it was hard work to break the stereotypes surrounding skateboarding. If you can have a basketball net or a tennis court in your backyard, why shouldn’t you be allowed to have a skateboard ramp? Why shouldn’t your young daughter or son be allowed to safely practice a sport that they love? We did a lot of work and due diligence to to make sure we worked with the community on what type of ramps the city would support – making sure they’re safe and feasible.

Our city seems to have embraced skateboarding in the past few years. The Skateboard Amenities Strategy has seen six new, free outdoor concrete skateparks created. To what do you attribute the “new outlook”.

Again, I think with a city as young as Calgary (The average Calgarian is 36 years old) we crave vibrancy. I also think that our City Council has recognized that kids being out and active is a great thing in general — whether it’s a new playground or a new skate park.

Do you still skate?

I do! Not as much as I would like. Just this past summer I went out with a rad group of people on Go Skateboarding Day and toured around the city with friends. No matter how long I go without skating, getting on a board again always feels great.

We’re hoping skateboarding will be allowed in downtown Calgary. Can you help us with that?

Yes, that work is underway. Having a skatepark downtown, but not allowing skateboarding downtown is a pretty ridiculous problem.

Photo by Marlene Hielema

With the election coming up on October 16, what’s the most important message for citizens of Calgary to consider?

I think the most important thing to consider is that our city is changing– we’re in a state of constant change. Our economy is changing and diversifying, there are opportunities and challenges with the growth in population in our city, and there will be constant impacts of technology on our daily lives.